My One and Only Angel
by BlackHeartedTigress
Summary: Set after Clockwork Princess, Jem and Tessa decide what their future will hold and how big a part they will play in each other's lives. Tessa is determined to meet Jace Herondale, her descendent, when Jem mentions his name. I've decided to continue this story past a one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**My one and only angel **

"Jem," I murmur, drawing him close. I've waited so long to hold him, my sweet violin-playing, honest love, back in my arms again. "It's been too long."

"I know, Tess, I know," comes his soft reply.

He then steps back a little, and puts one hand on my waist, the other linked through my own. "Dance with me Tessa."

Music swells in the background, and we begin to move together, every step in perfect harmony. The colours of sunset are splayed vividly across the room from the floor to ceiling window, high above the city. Vibrant, seductive reds and playful oranges. Sultry, dusky purples and edges of the sexy, unknown blacks of our shadows.

I gaze into his endless ebony eyes, marvelling at the strength I see there. This is the man who'd made countless sacrifices for both myself, and his parabatai, and by in everything but blood, brother, Will.

Will. Just remembering the name brings a myriad of emotions at once; of rapturous intense joy, and deep unfathomable melancholy. William Herondale had been the truest, most faithful love, and I hope his legacy lives on in our descendants.

Despite this, I do not feel the slightest bit of regret for loving James Carstairs. I've been told that to find one true love in a lifetime was fortunate, but to find two soul-mates was beyond almost beyond all possibility. It is not something that should be taken lightly, and I don't. Jem had been my fiancé long ago, and that love had never faded. Through our darkest hours we'd had merely the thought of each other to hold us afloat. The current had never been powerful enough to wash away what there is between us.

The song ends, leaving us in profound silence. I am a woman who can shed her skin easier than a snake, quickly fitting into another. He is the man who was a silver boy-prince, and then a sightless monk who could see the entire universe, but touch nothing. He is now the man who has the knowledge of thousands of years in his head and hands, and yet hesitates before me, unsure of himself. His hair falls into his soulful eyes, as he looks uncertainly at me. "Theresa Grey-Herondale. I know you said on Blackfriar's Bridge that you wanted back what we had in the past, but... after Will..."

"Jem. James Carstairs." He smiles slightly at that, recalling how Will would use his full name on the occasions when he really needed Jem to hear his words. "My name is _not _Theresa Grey-Herondale. It is Tessa Starkweather-Herondale-_Carstairs_," I say determinedly, then adding shyly," if you want it to be."

"Did you just propose to me?" Jem asks, his eyes alight with happiness.

"It's a new age, Jem. A new century of new adventures, in which I'd be honoured to have you by my side."

"I won't be there forever though. I'll die, just like Will."

"Years of treasured memories are better than years of emptiness," I counter.

"Then yes, Tessa, I will marry you," He murmurs, and kisses my neck softly, his hands stroking over my sides and shoulders. His lips move to my jawline, while he pushes off the jacket I am wearing, and it slides to the floor. He seems intent on exploring every part of me. His hand cups my cheek, and then his fingers touch my eyelids. My breathing hitches as his mouth meets mine. He does not kiss me carefully, but instead brings me back to that night we'd first kissed.

That had been the night I'd seen a whole different side to him; a part of him filled with raw anger and all-consuming, fiery passion. It had made me forget how vulnerable he'd been, how fragile and narrow and breakable he'd been. In that moment, he'd just been Jem. There was no boy feverish and silvered with _yin fen_, just the boy who loved me.

Heat surges in my veins, and I am reaching for his shirt, drawing it over his head. Just being away from him for a second is almost painful. Again, there is a changed man before me. There are no sharp angles from ribs and pointed shoulders any more. Instead there is an enduring strength where there had been weakness; his chest is smooth and muscular, although covered in swirling black runes and white scars, and his shoulders broad and rounded. He is flawless to me. He is a beautiful man of sincerity, respect and unbreakable loyalty.

I sigh against his skin. This is a moment I want never to forget. I need it to be imprinted on my mind. Slowly I run my hands from his soft black hair to his stomach, smiling as he shudders and squeezes his eyes shut.

I gasp slightly as his fingers tease at the hem of my shirt. Soon there would be no going back. I glance up at him, into his reopened eyes. Understanding passes between us instantly. We both want this.

It is not long before there was no more clothing left between us. He gently pulls me towards the white expanse of the bed, and we become one flesh, so intertwined that one could not be told from the other.

Later, when the room is darkened with night, I hear Jem whisper into my ear, "I love you Tess. My one and only angel."

**Don't you just love Jem? Sometimes I get a little jealous of fictional characters. Like Clary. Like Tessa. Especially Tessa- she had Will Herondale _and _Jem Carstairs... but I suppose it wouldn't be all that great to live forever and have to lose both of them eventually. **

**Okay, so I'm wondering whether I should leave this as a one-shot, or continue Jem and Tessa's story? Leave a comment to tell me... Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Daylight filters into the room uninvited. Believe when I say I could spend a lifetime lying here in Jem's arms, his chest moving up and down slowly with every unconscious breath. Although he still sleeps, there is contentment in the contours of his face. Happiness that we are finally together, happiness he is free, no longer bound by the oaths of the Silent Brothers. I close my eyes again, just enjoying the warmth emanating from my love. I sincerely hope I spend the rest of my life waking up in the morning in his embrace. Until he died.

The thought strikes me, reverberating painfully inside my mind. I'd told Jem I could accept his death, but it is a lie. Will's death had cut part of my heart away. When Jem dies I fear there will be none of my damaged heart left. No matter how far I try to push it out of my head, it will always be there. I can never escape it. Falling asleep on that thought was never going to be easy, but the easy beat of Jem's heart convinces my mind we still have a lot of time in front of us. Perhaps the years won't go by like minutes.

A startling ringing sound jolts me out of my sleep again. It is a foul sound, intrusive and unrelenting. Jem stirs beneath me. "I really should have switched that off," he says, still half-asleep, and he reaches for the mobile. I really do detest the metallic sound it makes; it doesn't even compare to the sound of a bow on strings.

"Hello?"

"I... Well, I suppose I could..." I hear the reluctance in his voice. "For Jonathan? Of course, we'll be there in a few hours."

He looks at me, his eyes ambivalent. "I'll have to ask her... Goodbye, Magnus."

"Magnus? Magnus Bane?"

"Yes." There is a hesitancy in his voice. "He wants to meet with us in regards to the New York Institute."

I frown, remembering the last time Magnus and I had spoken.

"Jem... There aren't any Herondales at the New York Institute, are there?"

He moves away from me, gathering his clothes. His voice is a little constricted when he says, "No, just the Lightwoods, and of course Clarissa Fairchild."

"Valentine's daughter."

"Descendant of our Charlotte," he replies, chastising me slightly. He obviously thought well of the girl.

I bite back a sharp answer; there is no point judging her before we even meet. "So we're going to meet them, then?"

"If you want to," There is a certain tonelessness to that answer. He doesn't seem overly happy about the fact I am going.

And so that automatically makes me want to resist. "I'd like to."

His breath rushes out in a hiss. "Fine then. Jonathan Herondale lives there with his adoptive family."

I flinch, but know I cannot back down now. "I want to meet him Jem."

"Of course you do," he says, exasperation written over his face. He rests his forearm against the wall, and ducks his head against it. "You're only setting yourself up for more hurt, Tessa."

"Please, James Carstairs."

He looks up at me once more. His dark eyes soften. "Okay, Tess. Just keep in mind, Will and Jace are two separate people."

"I know," I say, with determination in my voice. "Come here, Jem. I loathe to see you so tense and distant. "

He smiles wearily, but moves closer to embrace me. "Oh, Tess," he murmurs. "What I wouldn't do for you."

With that said, he takes my arm gently and guides me back to bed. I raised my brows enquiringly, and he grinned and said, "Tessa, this is no sane waking hour."

We remove his clothes again and spend the rest of the morning there, alternating between periods of activity and periods of sleepy warmth.

**Firstly, don't hate me for taking so long to post another chapter- my main aim is foremost to revise for my exams, and secondly to work on An Undying Love. Hope you like it, and of course this is set quite a bit after the events of CoLS, so Jace, Clary etc. are probably in the middle of a war with Sebastian. CC mentions a world of fire and blood, I now feel like I'm quoting an Inspector Calls, so it will perhaps take some time to think about how to write that.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I've decided I'm going to continue this story, but updates will be extremely irregular. I hope you can just appreciate the writing that is there, and I will accept any criticism and would love feedback. Thank you.**

I quite enjoy flying; it gives one the feeling of weightlessness and one starts to think one will never touch the earth again. I restrain a gasp as I look out the window, seeing the cities and towns pass below, not far from our destination. It is like having an out-of-body experience, with the world stretching for miles beneath you as you glide over it.

"I do not quite see how you love flying so much, Tessa," Jem says, his face pale illuminated starkly by the sunlight flowing in the small window. "It makes me feel so detached from the world, as if I'll never touch down again and remain floating for the rest of eternity."

"But that is the joy of it, Jem! It is not detachment, it is... it is..."

"Lost for words, Tess?" Jem asks, laughing slightly, although he still looks queasy.

"Will would have found that elusive word," I murmur, remembering Will's adoration of the written word.

Jem sighs. "Yes, I suppose he would. He was always reading, up to his very last day."

"Let us not speak of that now; although neither of us will forget our grief, this is not the time for it."

Jem subtly changes the subject back to flying," Perhaps wondrously enlightening were the words you were looking for?" I recognise the teasing tone quickly.

"A little hyperbolic, but I think it sums it up. How far are we from landing?"

"About fifteen minutes. I eagerly await the end of this particular journey."

I watch the relief on his pallid face as the plane jolts onto the ground again, slowing down gradually until we reach a near standstill. I stretch my arms out, preparing to disembark the plane and see my city of birth. New York is known even now for the energy it is suffused with, and I cannot wait to rejoin it. Life never halts here, day and night there is a constant hum of both machines and its people. Or more like screeching, I think wryly, considering the crazed traffic and ever busy streets.

We'd agreed to meet Magnus inside the airport, near its exit, from where he can drive us to the New York Institute and meet the Shadowhunters there. Apprehension bubbles up inside of me at the thought of that; I will soon meet my only living descendant, Jonathan Herondale. I know I may face hatred, for Shadowhunters do not like to think their blood contaminated by Downworlders. He will also question why I haven't remained by the Herondales side throughout history, why I haven't approached him before this. I know I can answer every single one of these questions, for I had spent many hours mulling them over, preparing myself for possible scenarios, but I know he won't like some of the answers. Not if he is anything like Will.

"Theresa Gray-Starkweather-Herondale-Carstairs. Is it Carstairs yet? Or is it a bit too soon?" I turn to face the familiar voice, my lips curving into a smile of their own volition.

"Well, we both consider me a Carstairs now, but we decided this isn't an appropriate time for a wedding."

"Quite right. Couldn't have nasty demon-shadowhunters invading as you say your vows." I laugh and embrace the flamboyant warlock.

"Its good to see you Magnus."

"And you, Tessa. But where is your Jem?"

"We split up to search for you. In an airport this size its like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack."

He raises an eyebrow, gesturing to himself pointedly.

Conceding his point I add, "Albeit that needle is a foot taller than anyone else, looks like a rainbow and is covered in glitter."

He grins, appearing to like my evaluation of him.

"There you are," Jem said in relief, smiling amiably at Magnus.

"We're ready to go then?" Magnus asked.

Jem glances at me, and in his dark eyes are the question, _Are you ready for this?_

And sure enough he reads the answer in my own grey eyes and nods to Magnus, who begins walking towards the exit, whistling a tune from some past century.

**Yep, so that's it. Basically this is just a teaser chapter. I'm going to try to get another chapter done by the weekend, but no promises. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so it's three days late, and I have no excuses at all.. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

Flying may have been a delightful experience, but travelling by car is most assuredly not. Yes, it has certainly improved since the first car, which played leap-frog over cobblestones, but even so, the ride is unbearable. I feel almost faint at the stifling mugginess inside the vehicle, and could not have been more relieved at the cutting of its engine.

What had also bothered me during the ride was the silence. To start out with Magnus had been very talkative and lively, but as soon as I'd asked the damning question he'd become cold and distant. _So, Magnus, tell us how you came to know the inhabitants of _this _Institute? _Jem had shot me a horrified glance the moment after, informing me I'd erred gravely. But how was I to know this was an unspeakable topic?, I protested internally. Externally, I had attempted to change the subject, but I only received monosyllabic answers.

Instead then, I tried to picture what Jace would look like. Would I see any of Will in him? Myself? Perhaps after so many generations the Herondales would have changed completely, and he would be completely unrecognisable to me. One thing I did know was that he'd have the mark of the Herondales; the white star. Will had received the scar from the clockwork angel, from Ithuriel, and James and Lucie both had the mark as well. I wondered if my demon blood would still make an appearance, or would it have been diluted?

Before I'd asked the question that had closed Magnus off completely, I had asked him about Jace, but all he'd said was, "Don't worry, that boy is undeniably a Herondale. Will and James would have been proud that he's maintained their ways." After that he refused to tell me any more, saying I'd find out soon enough.

"Here we are, " Magnus says, with a bored tone. He makes a lazy gesture of his hand to a ruinous building. I concrete harder and a grand cathedral takes its place. The Institute.

"Aren't you coming in with us?" I ask.

Cat-eyes glare at me ominously.

"I'm sure we can find our own way around, can't we Tess?" Jem intercedes hastily. "I've been here before as a Silent Brother, after all."

We climb out of the car, while Magnus stares straight ahead as if fascinated by the empty street. "Thank you. For driving us here." I say carefully.

"You're welcome. And I hope you have better luck with them than I did. I doubt it though," he replies offhandedly. He doesn't wait a moment more before restarting the engine and driving away.

"Do you know what happened with him and the Shadowhunters?" I question Jem.

A pained look crosses his face. Avoiding my eyes, he answers, "I can guess. Now let's go and meet New York's Shadowhunters." He approached the church building and murmured the words, " In the name of the Clave, I ask entry to this holy place. And in the name of the angel Raziel, I ask your blessings upon my mission against darkness." The cathedral's doors opens.

"It's very different to London's Institute," I whisper, in awe of the cathedral that made up the front of the Institute. I watch curiously as Jem rings the doorbell, hearing the immense sound resonate throughout the building.

"Don't want to walk in uninvited by the residents themselves, even if Raziel's okay with it," Jem explains. "And it really isn't that different from London in the main building."

A loud clanking replaces the ringing, and a golden elevator comes into view, carrying two people. It opens with a reluctant screech, revealing their faces. Both looked mildly shocked.

"Brother Zachariah?" The golden-haired one asks incredulously, but I can only stare at the other boy.

_"Will?"_

**Jem's asking for entry to the Institute is directly quoted from City of Ashes, p.55, when Jace asks for entry.**

**Tell me what you think! (please don't say it's too short, I have noticed!) xoxo**


End file.
